The Packard Plant: Big. Ugly. Dangerous.

City firefighters won't venture inside it when it catches fire. Scrappers have pretty much picked it clean. Urban spelunkers still explore it, and graffiti artists see it as a massive canvas. But lately, some of these visitors have been beaten and robbed by predators lurking in the dark among the rubble.

The Packard Plant, or what's left of it, stands along East Grand Boulevard -- a clear and present danger, an obstacle to redeveloping the near east side, a forlorn landmark for camera crews from around the world. Its removal would be a visible victory for the state and city, a relief for cops and firefighters, an invitation to reinvent a once-vital industrial area. But past bureaucratic bungling, future legal hurdles and a lack of money are obstacles to getting the job done.